Arab Finance: Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem met with Irish Ambassador to Egypt Aidan O’Hara and a delegation from Enterprise Ireland to discuss opportunities to expand industrial cooperation between the two countries across a range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, technology, and vocational training, as per a statement.
The talks also included representatives from Enterprise Ireland, whose delegation is currently visiting Egypt to explore trade and investment opportunities and strengthen partnerships between the business communities of both countries.
Hashem said relations between Egypt and Ireland are built on a long history of cooperation across various fields, noting Egypt’s interest in benefiting from Irish expertise to deepen local manufacturing and support the transfer of technology and knowledge to Egyptian industry.
He added that the use of new and renewable energy in industry is a key priority within the Ministry of Industry’s current action plan, aimed at enhancing industrial competitiveness, reducing production costs, and lowering dependence on conventional energy sources.
As part of these efforts, the ministry is implementing the “Sun of Industry” initiative, which targets the installation of solar power systems on the rooftops of around 7,000 factories nationwide, with a combined capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts. The initiative relies on a range of financing and implementation models designed to reduce energy costs, cut natural gas consumption, and improve the competitiveness of Egyptian products in local and export markets.
Hashem also highlighted the ministry’s interest in leveraging Ireland’s expertise and Enterprise Ireland’s experience in technical and vocational education and training as Egypt works to establish a Center of Excellence for Vocational Training. The center is expected to provide training programs aimed at improving the quality of technical education graduates and enhancing their competitiveness in international labor markets.
In addition, the minister pointed to opportunities for cooperation in the use of artificial intelligence and quantum computing in pharmaceutical research and development, an area in which Egypt is seeking to benefit from Ireland’s experience.
For his part, O’Hara reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Egypt, describing the country as one of Ireland’s key partners in the region. He also stressed the importance of encouraging Irish companies to expand their operations and make new investments in Egypt, citing the opportunities and incentives available in the local market.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise Ireland delegation said it will prepare a report summarizing its meetings with government officials and private sector companies during the visit. The report will be shared with Irish companies interested in exploring investment opportunities in Egypt.
